


i wanna be yours

by cresswell



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Cora/Lydia Friendship, F/M, Misunderstandings, Sad Cora
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-27
Updated: 2014-12-27
Packaged: 2018-03-03 18:47:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2863730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cresswell/pseuds/cresswell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She inhaled. “I’m thinking I waited too long to see you again. I’m also thinking I shouldn’t have seen you at all, if this is the result.”</p>
<p>He cracked a smile at that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i wanna be yours

Lydia’s house was extravagant and lovely and Cora felt kind of weird about ringing the doorbell in sweatpants and slippers. It was Friday, meaning it was Cora And Lydia’s Movie Night, and Cora had come armed with pizza and sour patch kids. (They were Lydia’s favorite even though she’d never admit it.)

Lydia opened the door with a bright smile, and Cora was unsurprised to see that while she was in pajamas too, she didn’t look like a homeless man. “Hey, come on in. I was just pulling out movies to pick from.”

Cora sighed, following Lydia inside, and heaved her sleepover bag over her shoulder. “It’s just going to be The Notebook, isn’t it? It’s always The Notebook.”

"I, frankly, love The Notebook."

Cora nearly dropped everything she was holding, barely catching the pizza box before it slid to the ground. Somehow she hadn’t picked up on the scent of pine needles and laundry detergent, but now that she was inside, it was almost overpowering. Stiles spared her a smile before turning his adoring gaze back to Lydia. “Hey, Cora. Join the party.”

She hadn’t seen Stiles since she came back from South America and the Nogitsune had been destroyed. She wasn’t sure how long she stood there, dumbly gaping at the scene in front of her. Cora And Lydia’s Movie Night was for _Cora and Lydia_ , not Cora and Lydia and Stiles. She opened her mouth to say something, probably something bitchy and petty, but the words died on her throat when she caught the way Lydia and Stiles were looking at each other. She swallowed past a nasty flavor in her throat. “Um, yeah. Hey. Good to see you again.”

She ended up sitting in an isolated armchair (which was super comfy, she’ll admit) while Lydia and Stiles hogged the whole couch. She tried not to feel shitty as she watched Ryan and Amy onscreen, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of being replaced, or shoved out of the way, or forgotten, or something. She was probably the worst friend ever.

She had dozed off by the time the credits rolled, and a loud peel of laughter shook her awake. Stiles and Lydia were tossing sour patch kids into each other’s mouths. Cora scowled, feeling pathetic and lame and awful. Wordlessly, she bent down to get her bag and started heading for the door.

"Hey." Lydia’s voice stopped her. "Are you- are you leaving?"

"Um, yeah." Cora couldn’t look at her. She was such a bad liar that even a human would be able to see through any fib she told. "I’m just gonna head home."

She could feel the hurt radiating off of Lydia, but she pushed past it and into the cold night air. She was halfway across the lawn when she heard the door open again. Turning, she saw Stiles jogging towards her.

"Hey." Mist hung around him and his breath turned into curled clouds of fog. His cheeks were pink from the cold and Cora averted her gaze. "At least let me drive you home."

"I can walk."

"Cora." He sounded exasperated and amused. "Come on. It’s past midnight and there are all sorts of creeps out here. Let me drive you home?"

She hesitated. His fingers were fidgeting, like he wanted to grab her and shake some sense into her. Finally, she exhaled, fanning his face with fog. “Okay.”

He relaxed, giving her one of those grins she knew so well. “Okay. Cool.”

He opened her door for her, which annoyed her for some reason she couldn’t pin. It was cold inside his car, and as soon as he started it up she was fiddling with the heater. She caught a grin on his face and frowned. “What?”

"You’re the same Cora I remember."

Cora blanched. “Of course I am.”

His hands were relaxed on the wheel, and the night sky passed by his head in a stark contrast to the pale shade of his skin. “I just expected you to be different. You _seemed_ different, after you came back.” He paused. “Why _did_ you come back?”

Her eyelids fluttered shut. This was the one question she had hoped he’d never ask, because her answer would change things, and not for the better. She couldn’t lie.

But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t try. “Derek asked me to come back.”

There was a beat of silence. Then: “Cora, come on. For real this time.”

She fiddled with her hands. Lydia had painted her fingernails gold a few days ago, and already the paint was chipping off. “I came back for you.”

The Jeep swerved and Cora gripped at Stiles’s sleeve, her other hand flying to the handle above her window. Stiles steadied the car and Cora pulled her hand away, her cheeks burning. “Sorry. Panicked.”

"Cora, what do you mean you came back for me?" Stiles was looking at her with such an open expression that she couldn’t meet his gaze, and she suddenly realized that he’d stopped the car.

"I mean I came back for you. To make sure you were okay."

He was looking at her with something that looked almost like pity, and her heart was beating so hard she thought she was becoming faint. She felt for the door handle, her hands shaking. “Look, I’m close enough to the loft. I’ll just walk from here.”

She’d only made it about ten feet before Stiles caught up with her, gripping her elbow in his hand. “Cora, wait. Stop. Talk to me.”

"I just did, didn’t I?" She shook him off gently, turning away from him. She’d gotten involved in some bad things in South America, and the only souvenir she’d returned with seemed to be an anxiety she could never quite shake. She shoved her trembling hands in the pockets of her hoodie. "Please don’t make me do this."

"Hey, it’s okay." Stiles’s voice was low and soft, like he was talking to a spooked animal, and he gripped her fingers in his. She caught his gaze on accident and couldn’t will herself to look away. "Come on. Let’s sit down, okay?"

Numbly, she let him lead her to a bench not too far away. Some of her alarms were going off, saying that this was not a good idea, but the feel of Stiles’s hand in hers overrode them.

"Now." Stiles’s whole body was turned towards her, letting her know she had his full attention, and all she could focus on was his arm resting on the bench behind her head. "Breathe, and tell me what you’re thinking."

She inhaled. “I’m thinking I waited too long to see you again. I’m also thinking I shouldn’t have seen you at all, if this is the result.”

He cracked a smile at that.

"I’m thinking I’m mad at you for crashing Cora And Lydia’s Movie Night, and I’m mad at Lydia for letting you. But mostly I’m mad at myself for being mad."

"Oh, Cora." Stiles was looking at her with something akin to worry. "Lydia’s still your best friend."

"No, I know. It’s not even that. I mean, I guess it might be a little bit, but- well. I feel so stupid for coming back for you."

He cocked his head to the side. “Why? You’re not stupid, by the way.”

She flailed her hands a little, not wanting to have to do this part. “Because, well. You know. I’m a little too late.”

Stiles’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

She shot him a look. “Oh, come on. You know. You and Lydia.”

"Me and-?" Stiles frowned at her for a moment. "What about me and Lydia?"

Cora groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Oh my god! You two are- you know- and I’m the shittiest friend.”

Now Stiles flailed his hands. “What? Why?”

"I’m in love with my best friend’s boyfriend, dumbass!" She exclaimed. Her voice came out much louder than expected, and the silence that fell immediately afterwards was so tense she thought she might puke.

"Your best friend’s-?" Pause, and then Stiles was doubled over laughing. "Oh my god, Cora, no. _No_.”

"What?" Cora was bewildered. "Stop. Stop laughing at me!"

"No, wait-" He grabbed her wrist when she stood up to leave. "I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you. Well, only a little-"

"Stiles," Cora growled in warning, tugging her hand away.

"What’re you gonna do? You can’t hurt me." He waggled his eyebrows. "You looooove me."

Cora buried her face in her hands. “Oh my god.”

"But it’s okay. It’s okay! Because here’s the thing: I’m not Lydia’s boyfriend."

It took her a moment to process this. She peeked out at him between her fingers, her heart hammering like a racehorse. “You’re not?”

Stiles grinned, shaking his head. “Nope. I’m nobody’s boyfriend. Although I’d reconsider, if you asked.”

She blushed and, ignoring his teasing, sat back down beside him. “So I… I was wrong this whole time?”

Stiles nodded, launching into another bout of laughter, and Cora closed her eyes and exhaled. A moment later, Stiles touched her shoulder. “You okay?”

Her eyes flew open. “No, I am not okay! I had worked myself up to a meltdown and then you tricked me into accidentally saying I loved you and then you had the nerve to sit there and laugh at me like-“

Whatever she was going to say got cut off by Stiles’s lips on hers, and her eyes widened as he slid a hand up into her hair. He was kissing her softly and reverently, like he was unsure if it was really a good idea, and when she hesitantly kissed back, he pulled her closer with a hand on her hip. Their lips meshed gently, their noses bumping once or twice, and Cora’s arms found their way around Stiles’s neck, holding him in place so she could suck his bottom lip in between her own. He made a soft sound between a gasp and a moan, and Cora couldn’t help but smile into it, effectively ending the kiss as her lips slipped away from his. They were breathing hard, and when Cora caught his gaze, she saw his pupils were blown wide.

She smiled into the side of his jaw, feeling her blush on his, and smoothed her hand over his chest. “Well then, if that’s really how you feel. How about we go on a date?”

His breathless _yes_ came out so fast it almost cut her off, and now it was her turn to laugh.


End file.
